MATCH #18
Western Oregon (4-13, 1-7 GNAC) vs. Concordia (11-5, 3-5 GNAC)
Tuesday, Oct. 13, at. 7 p.m.
Monmouth, Ore. – New P.E. Building
 
MATCH #19
Western Oregon (4-13, 1-7 GNAC) at Montana State Billings (3-13, 2-6 GNAC)
Thursday, Oct. 15, at. 7 p.m. Mountain
Billings, Mont. – Alterowitz Gymnasium
 
THIS WEEK: The Wolves host Concordia on Tuesday night in a RED OUT in the New P.E. Building and them will head out for a league contest on Thursday night at Montana State Billings.
 
LIVE VIDEO: All Great Northwest Athletic Conference matchups will be broadcasted through Stretch Internet. A link can be found on the home page and volleyball schedule page on WOUWolves.com.
 
LIVE STATS: Fans can follow the action for both GNAC matches online via live stats through WOU's Stretch Internet portal. 
 
FOLLOW THE WOLVES: The Western Oregon volleyball team can be followed on Twitter. Follow @WOUVolleyball for all the latest news and behind the scenes photos. Follow @WOUWolves for the latest news on all 11 Western Oregon athletic programs.
 
LAST TIME OUT
·         Western Oregon battled in two road matches last week, but could not find the winning formula falling in straight sets at Simon Fraser and Western Washington.
·         Christie Colasurdo ranked second in the conference last week with 5.75 digs per set. With 44 digs over the weekend, Colasurdo was named GNAC Defensive Player of the Week.
·         On the offensive attack, Sydney Blankinship led the Wolves with 10 kills against SFU while Paige Kelsey was consistent with nine kills against the Clan and 10 more against the Vikings.
 
ABOUT CONCORDIA
·         Melanie Hambleton is in her seventh season as head coach of the Cavaliers with her record standing at 120-61. Concordia is currently 11-5 overall and 3-5 in conference play. CU began the season with nine consecutive wins and recently broke a three-match losing skid with a comeback win in five sets at SFU.
·         The Cavaliers went 19-10 overall and 14-4 in their final year of NAIA competition last season.
·         Concordia is hitting .194 with 12.2 kills per set, while their opponents are hitting .143 with 10.9 kills per set.
·         Brenna Huwe leads four CU players over the 100-kill mark with 155 rally-ending swings in 55 sets. Janessa Taylor averages 10.24 assists per set in running the offense. Shantel Gritsch leads the Cavaliers with 303 season digs.

VS. CU: Western Oregon leads 35-2 in the series, but Concordia has won the last two matchups in the series – including a five-set triumph in the 2014 opener.
 
ABOUT MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
·         Lisa Axel is 34-62 in her fourth year as the head coach at MSUB. The Yellowjackets are currently 3-13 on the season and 2-6 in GNAC competition. Last week, MSUB swept past Saint Martin's on the road and dropped a four-set decision at Seattle Pacific.  
·         The Yellowjakcets are hitting .165 with 11.7 kills per set. Their opponents are hitting .237 with 13.3 kills per set.
·         Ashlyn Ward is the lead attacker for MSUB with 200 kills and a .246 hitting percentage. Taylor Albertson (114) and Audri Marrs (108) follow Ward. Kyndal Williams averages 9.71 assists per set.

VS. MSUB: Western Oregon has the advantage in the series, 14-6. The Yellowjackets defeated the Wolves in both GNAC games of the 2014 season, sweeping the Wolves, 3-0, both times.
 
WOU TEAM NOTES: Here are some tidbits about the Western Oregon volleyball team through 17 matches:
·         Western Oregon is 4-13 overall this season with all four victories coming at home – against Lewis & Clark (Sept. 8), Adelphi (Sept. 10), Notre Dame de Namur (Sept. 12), Alaska (Sept. 19).
·         The Wolves are hitting .178 as a team with 10.5 kills per set. They hit a season-best .302 in the three-game sweep over Alaska on Sept. 19.
·         Western Oregon is just one match win from matching its total from the entire 2014 season.
 
SCHEDULE NOTES: A peek into the games on the Wolves' 2015 schedule.
·         Western Oregon opened the season at the Oredigger Volleyball Classic hosted by Colorado School of Mines. WOU dropped all four matches, including two matches to teams ranked inside the AVCA National Top 25 (No. 19 Cal State San Bernardino, No. 8 Colorado Mines).
·         After a hiatus in 2014, WOU hosted the Western Oregon Invitational from Sept. 10-12 at the New P.E. Building. This year, WOU went 2-2 with victories over Adelphi in four games and Notre Dame de Namur in five games. Since 2012, Western Oregon is 7-5 as tournament hosts.
·         The Great Northwest Athletic Conference added Concordia-Portland as a full member in 2015. With the Cavaliers joining the league, they become Western Oregon's travel partner when both teams hit the road. Since 2009, Western Oregon and Saint Martin's had been coupled as a road trip for visiting teams.
 
ON THE GNAC HORIZON: The Wolves will return home on Thursday, Oct. 22 to face Seattle Pacific and on Saturday, Oct. 24 against Saint Martin's.